Bored of Being One of the Guys
by GothicRainbowGrenade
Summary: While being Tom, Lisa meets Jem, a sarcastic and forward street girl who sees right through Lisa's disguise. But what happens when Lisa meets Jem's brother? Lisa/OC probably Leo/OC
1. Chapter 1

Lisa tugged angrily at the wig hiding her golden curls. She was so frustrated at having to hide being a girl, but what could she do?

"Hey, if you tug at that wig any more, it'll start to fall out." a voice beside her said and she jumped.

"Sorry." the voice said, "Just sayin'."

Lisa looked round for the source of the advice, until her eyes came to rest on a dark haired girl sitting on an unused barrel.

"How did you know it was a wig?" Lisa exclaimed.

The girl shrugged.

"If that was your real hair, all that tugging would have pulled it out already."

Lisa's hand shot up to her head and the girl grinned.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Jem."

"Li-Tom."

"Alright then _Tom_, if you're not going to tell me your name then I'll just go." Jem hopped off the barrel and began to turn away.

"Wait. Lisa. My name's Lisa. I have to pretend to be a boy. You have to understand It's the only way I can paint!"

Jem nodded and smiled at Lisa, who weakly returned the grin.

"How about this," Jem started, "I don't tell anyone about you being across dresser, if you agree to be my friend."

Lisa scoffed.

"You're blackmailing me into being your friend. Cant you just make one like a normal person?"

Jem shrugged.

"Where's the fun in that?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the reviews you lovely people. Here is ch2. Im trying to make the chapters shory, but update regularly. Enjoy!**

Jem examined the contraption in her hands.

"...so...what is it?" she asked, shaking her hair out her face and looking up at Lisa.

"Leo called it a bicycle." Lisa's eyes took on a dreamy quality.

Jem smirked.

"This Leo, you seem to think very highly of him."

"Well-uh- you know, he's a friend," Lisa stammered, "I mean, he's nice and all but its just sometimes...it's like he treats me like a little sister."

"And so he should, you're too young to be thinking of other boys that way."

"What!?"

"I'm joking." Jem grinned, "he sounds lovely."

The clock in the market place struck 12 noon.

"Oh shoot," cried Jem, "I'm sorry I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow."

Jem jumped up, in her wake her long coat coming undone to reveal a bright red top and a tye-dye skirt.

Lisa's eyes widened.

"What?" asked Jem, seeing Lisa's expression.

"Your clothes...they're so...vibrant."

Jem cringed slightly.

"yeah well, my whole family's in the cloth dying and selling business. Your clothes get stained in the fumes."

Lisa smiled slightly, turning.

"So where exactly do you live?"

But by the time she looked back Jem had already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I have really no idea where I'm gonna go with this story because I have a total mindblock right now, but here's what I spewed out. Reviews welcome.**

"Hey, Mac?"

Mac looked up at Lisa.

"Hm?" he said vaguely.

"I'm sort of riends with this girl... she says her family works in the dye making buisness, but I have no idea where or what she is talking about." Lisa said.

Mac frowned.

"I might be able to find out who she is. What did you say her name was?" he asked.

"Jem." Lisa replied, "She didn't tell me her second name, but how many Jems can there really be in Florence?"

Mac looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I might know. What did she look like?"

"She had dark hair that always fell into her eyes," Lisa thought some more, "which were grey, I think, and she was quite tall..."

"Anything else?" Mac prompted.

"...Oh! And she had on really bright tye-dye clothes."

"With a massive brown coat over the top?"

"Yes!" Lisa cried, "Do you know her?"

"No."

Lisa's face fell.

"But I do know her brother."


	4. Chapter 4

_Lisa cried, "Do you know her?"_

"_No."_

_Lisa's face fell._

"_But I do know her brother."_

Ch3

"Can you tell me where they live?" Lisa asked excitedly.

Mac scrunched up his nose.

"I-I don't think he'd like me telling you where he lived...I mean, a lot of people are looking for him at the moment. But," he said, seeing Lisa's face, "I suppose if you just want to see his _sister_ then it's different."

"Thank you so much Mac!" Lisa said, throwing her arms round him, totally oblivious to the fact he was smelling her hair.

"Its at the Romana Port (A/N: IDK if thats not a real street), the shop at the end with the brightly painted sign on it."

Lisa pulled away and began to skip out the door, when Mac caught her arm.

"Just, uh, when you get there, don't mention I told you." He said, glancing at the ground.

Lisa just nodded and walked off.

Jem stared glumly at the bucket filled with a lurid green liquid.

Her brother,Grant , stood behind her.

"Aye, well that's pretty much fucked." he said, wiping the side of his face with his hand, in the process smudging a streak of blue dye down it.

Jem nodded in agreement.

They, both quickly spun round upon hearing a knock at the door.

"It was Jemma!" Grant cried out as Lisa looked confused.

"Tom! I mean Lisa...whatever." Jem said, grinning from ear to ear as she ran over to hug her friend.

"How did you find out where I lived?"

Lisa shrugged.

"Mac told me." she said

"That son of a bitch," muttered Grant, hauling the bucket over to a tap to try and dilute down the green a bit.

"Excuse me?" Lisa said.

Grant glanced at her, giving her a once over.

He smiled to himself.

"Bloody cross-dressers." he said, stifling a grin.

Lisa looked at him shocked.

"Hey, I'm not a cross dresser!" exclaimed Lisa, "I'm an artist. And a boy."

"Well love, you're the most attractive 'boy' I've ever seen."

Jem stood awkwardly in the corner.

"If you two are finished flirting...Grant this is Lisa, a girl _pretending_ to be a boy so she can paint, Lisa this is my older brother Grant." she said. "Don't talk to him in case you get pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

**YAY! Grant and Lisa finally met! * rolls on the floor out of happiness * . Keep them reviews coming!**

"_Thats my brother, Grant, don't talk to him unless you want to get pregnant_." Grant imitated his sister after Jem and Lisa left, leaving him to clear up the green crap, which was now clogging the drain.

"Who does she think she is anyway? Being a boy isn't the _only_ way to paint professionally." he thought for a moment, "Okay so maybe in this day and age us men haven't embraced that women can do the exact same things as men..."

Grant trailed off realising he was talking to himself.

"Ah shit." he said, spilling green dye down himself.

There was a second of silence in the workshop as Lisa opened the door and Jem walked through.

She glanced around awkwardly before the silence was interupted.

"You! Where have you been!?" shouted Verrocchio, his face like a tomato.

"Sorry meistro," apologised Lisa, "I was just showing my friend Jem the workshop."

"Jem, eh? Isn't your brother that Grant boy?"

Jem nodded slowly.

"That boy has been nothing but trouble to me since...well since the _incident_." Verrocchio said, leaving no room for argument. "Now out so my workshop can function properly, they are, after all, a group of hormonal teenage boys with nothing better to look at all day."

The young artists faces flushed almost I usion as they pretended to get back to work.

Jem waved a hand awkwardly before shuffling out the open door.

The ally out the back of the workshop was cluttered and Jem nearly tripped over an odd contraption sitting on the ground near the door.

"What the-" she cried, before picking it up to examine it.

Jem examined it and gave the wheel a spin.

"This is never going to work," she muttered.

"And why's that?" said a voice behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**YAAAY CHAPTER 6!(maybe) (not quite sure)**

"Why won't it work?" Implored the voice.

Jem spun round to see a tall boy with slightly dusty clothes.

"Well-um-...it's just the uh thing. Its all off..."Jem said, not really giving a reason.

"What do you mean it's all off?" the guy said, "I worked everything out myself."

"Wow. You smart little teacup, you."

"Excuse me?"

"It's just...well, I would have done it a bit better."

The boy frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" he said, putting the chalk he was holding down to come over to her.

Jem shrugged.

"You must be Leonardo. L-Tom's told me all about you."

"How do you know Tom? And what did she say about me?" Leonardo said, tilting his head slightly.

"Just that you invented lots of cool...shit."Jem poked the object with the toe of her boot.

She leaned down next to it and spun the wheel.

"Anyways I have to go. I'm Jem, by the way. Tell Lisa I said bye." Jem began to walk off.

"Tom." Leo said.

"What?"

"You said Lisa. We have to call her Tom."

"Oh. Right, sorry. Bye then"

Leo walked back into the workshop after that surreal meeting.

He sidled up to Tom.

"Who was that?" he asked her.

"Who was who?" replied Tom.

"That girl outside with the bright clothes on. She said she was a friend of yours."

"She is." replied Tom. "Her name's Jem. Her and her brother work in the dye industry."

"Her brother? You know him?"

"I met him the other day. Why? Not as if you would care."

Leo was already lost in thought.

"What did she mean it wouldn't work?" he said, half to himself.

Jem got outside the alleyway, just to spot her brother looking through some of the flowers and herbs used to make dyes.

She was about to go up and talk to him before she remembered she had to run an errand for her cousin, so darted off.

Grant scrunched his nose up at the dried, bright flowers. He wasn't sure if they gave a yellow colour or a really light green.

Spotting Jem and Lisa, he rolled his eyes.

_Although... _Grant thought, tilting his head to get a better view of Lisa's arse, _maybe there could be some up sides to Jem finally having some friends that are girls..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Next chapter! * high fives self* Sorry there hasn't been a lot of updates, had tests all last week.**

Leo glared at his bicycle. How could it possibly be jammed?

He had worked out all the calculations himself, and plus, it had been working earlier.

The pedal had completely fallen off and the bracket was swinging uselessly by it's side. (**A/N: Sorry. I really know nothing about bikes so I just made that shit up**)

Leo groaned and headed back into the workshop.

He was muttering to himself about having to re-do evrything, when he felt someones eyes on him.

Turning, he saw the girl – what was her name?...Jem! That was it!- staring at him.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he snapped, realising the Miestro was out.

Jem shrugged, "Don't you have a bicycle to fix."

"Oh, haha." he said sarcastically, and Jem held her hands up in defence.

Lisa suddenly walked through and Jem smiled at her friend. Leo instinctavley felt a pang of worry.

Lisa hardly knew this girl and here she was, parading round the workshop like she owned the place.

Leo decided he wasn't going to stand for it.

Jem watched as Grant's face lit up when he saw she was here with Lisa, but he quickly tried to hide it in an attempt to mask his excitement.

"Hey Lisa," he said awkwardly, then addressing his younger sibling, "hey clotpole."

Jem flipped him off and smirked as Lisa and Grant wore identical blushes.

"So how was...uh...painting illegally?" He tried to continue.

"Fine."

Grant cleared his throat, ran a hand through his sandy coloured hair and hurried out the door.

"What's up with him?" Lisa wondered out loud, as the door swung shut.

"Eh." Jem shrugged again, smiling to herself, "He's probably just on his man-period."

Lisa spluttered slightly as Jem began to pull down pieces of cloth that had been hung up to dry.

Grant walked to market square for the second time that day.

There, he ran into someone he had hoped to never meet.

"Oh! Uh hey Valentina!"

**Dun dun duuuuun!**

**Thanks for you awesome people for reviews. (You know who you are) More Leo/Jem interaction coming soon, I promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Next Chapter * fists air in triumph ***

"**Oh! Uh hey Valentina!"**

Valentina was shocked for a moment, but composed herself quickly.

She stared down her nose at him and turned her chin up.

"so.. why are you here?" he asked.

"I'm visiting my cousin, Lorenzo de Medici. I think I saw him go into one of the workshop's over there," Valentina said pointedly.

"Um, right okay. I'll see you around then." Grant said, attempting to get away fast and tell Jem you-know-who was back.

Valentina sniffed haughtily and proceeded to leave.

Grant shrugged and turned to run back home.

Jem jumped slightly as Grant barged through the door.

"Jem. Jemmy. Jemma. You'll never guess who I just saw." Grant panted. "Wait, where's Lisa?"

"Up your ass. Now tell me who you met?"

"Valentina."

Jem's eyes crinkled in mirth at her brother's misfortune.

"Oh god. She's back? After all that? That girl has some nerve."

"And, you'll never guess where she headed."

"Where?"

"Lisa's workshop."

Lisa glared out the crack in the door a Leo's attempts to flirt with that bitch of Lorenzo's cousin.

She was giggling over him like some sort of...gah.

Lisa couldn't think of the words to describe her apart from the fact she was a bitch.

"S'cuse me."Jem said, coming into the allyway and forcing Leo and Bitchface apart.

"Ugh, what is wrong with you?" Valentina said.

"Apart from the obvious? Nothing." Jem replied.

"Wait a second, aren't you that gypsy girl?" Valentina asked.

"Yes." Jem replied curtly. "You're Valentina, arent you?"

Mac and Lorenzo were looking in amusement from one girl to another, while Leo looked confused.

"Wait, you two know each other?" He asked.

"Oh, yes." Jem replied, not taking her eyes off the blonde in front of her. "Infact, we were nearly sisters. Until she found out my brother was a _commoner. Personally_, I'm quite glad that that ceremony didn't take place. Could you imagine the reunions?"

Mac snickered as Jemma left, leaving Valentina to explain that it had been a 'mistake' and that it was 'in the past'.

Lisa and Jem laughed silently behind their fists at the stricken look on the blonde's face.

Grant pushed his way into the workshop.

"What's going on out there?" he asked the two laughing girls.

"We told Leo what happened between you and Bitchface." Jem replied as Lisa peered out the window at them.

"Oh,that explains why Leo looked like he wanted to kill me."

"I might go out there." Lisa spoke up.

"What? No. Why?" Grant said immediately.

"I'll go as Lisa. Leo might notice me a bit more then."

"Well,you know, its cold out there you should wrap up, here put this blanket on, maybe go out the back door, you know, probably best if you don't talk to him." Grant rushed out, looking at Lisa with a mix of apprehension and parental guidance on his face.

Jem and Lisa looked at him with odd looks.

"No." Jem glared at him, "Lisa, you stick on whatever you want."

"Alright." Lisa walked over to the mannequin she was sketching and pulled it's dress off.

Grant raised his eyebrows as Lisa took off her waistcoat (thingy). Jem whacked him and he spun round.

"What?" he hissed.

"Dont play innocent with me. Stop it." His sister hissed back.

"Stop what?" Grant smirked and Jemma whacked him again.

"Alright fine."

They turned back round, hearing Lisa was done.

The breath hitched in Grant's throat as he caught sight of Lisa.

"Right, how do I look?" she asked, smoothing down the fabric.

"Fucking beautiful." Grant whipered, then cleard his throat, seeing the look on Lisa's face at his comment, "I m-mean you look fine. Alright I suppose. It's cool."

Lisa smiled nervously.

"Go then!" Jem said, braking the awkward silence.

**YAY NEW CHAPTER. I liked this one. :-D thank you lovely people for reviews. ( guys man-periods are a real thingy.) (honest) (truly).**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks For Lovely reviews! The last chapter was a bit longer than usual... we'll see how this one turns out. (I was watching the Valentina ep. Last night and I kept expecting Jem and Grant to barge in and Jem to be like **_sass_** _sass __sass_ sassss...) (sorry)**

Lisa walked outside and Jem caught Mac staring at her in awe. Grant was still standing in the same place as Lisa had left him, eyes slightly glazed over and swaying, like he was caught in a breeze.

"Hey!" Jem cried, peering out the window, "Fucking move! No, no, no, come back, can't you see Lisa loves you!"

Jem spoke to herself as Leo and Valentina left with Lorenzo.

Grant spun around at the mention of Lisa's name.

"What's even going on?" he asked.

"You might have saw if you weren't in la-la land thinking about fucking Lisa."

"Hey, don't talk about her like that. I thought she was your friend?"

"She is. Fucking is a doing word."

"Yeah but...HEY!" Grant frowned in realisation, "I was not."

Jem looked out the window again.

"She's coming back in. Calm your raging boner."

Lisa stepped back in.

"I hate that woman." she fumed, scrabbling around for her 'Tom' clothes.

"She is a bitch." Grant agreed.

"How do you know?" Lisa asked, taking her clothes from Jem's outstretched hand.

"She tried to marry me."

Lisa spluttered.

"What?" she cried.

"Yeah. Last year. Not really my type though. It's kind of a shame. She got rid of me after she found out I was a _commoner_."

Lisa looked at the floor.

"Why are you asking?" Grant smirked to himself.

_Damn_, Jem thought, Lisa don't go for the whole '_I'm-broken-and-need-a-pretty-girl-to-make-me-__feel-happy-again' thing. Its old. Don't. No. You will get pregnant. Don't even look at him._

Lisa looked up at Grant though her lashes.

_NO! _Jem yelled in her head, _What happened to Leo? Don't you loooove him? No, what are you doing? Don't lean in, don't lean in, don't FUCKING LEAN IN!_

"No reason," Lisa murmured.

"There's always a reason." Grant whispered.

_That is so fucking cheesy. Stop leaning in you assholes. I will kill you. I will kill you while you sleep. _Jem suddenly jumped up.

"IM GOING TO SEE IF I CAN STOP VALENTINA MARRYING LEO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM GET A ROOM THIS IS A FUCKING WORKSHOP." Jem burst out.

As soon as she did she felt terrible abut it.

Lisa looked horror-filled, as if she had been about to murder a baby. Grant however, looked as if he was a kicked puppy.

"I have to go." Lisa said hurriedly, fixing her wig and running out the workshop.

Grant stayed in the middle of the room, his shoulders slumped.

"Sorry." Jem said.

"It's fine. It would never have worked anyway. She's too good for me."

Grant left Jem standing in the middle of the empty room.

She briefly closed her eyes.

_Jemma Romana McDowell_, she thought, _you are a terrible person that is going to rot in hell._

**BAD JEMMA VERY VERY BAD. Ah well, no action for Grant or Lisa (Thanks to someone).**

**:-( It's fair to say I did not like this chapter. **

**More Leo in next Ch. though. Stupid brain, do you want Grant to suffer? (Brain: yeeees. Mu hahahaaaaaa!) (I need help)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for reviews you beautiful people. * hugs you all* bad Jemmy. (yes I nickname my characters) (what?) (that's normal)**

Jem walked out the workshop slowly, the start of a headache forming in her temple.

_Serves you right for ruining everyone's happiness, _she thought to herself.

She spotted Lorenzo sitting alone in a cafe.

"Hey," she said to him and he jumped up slightly from examining his spoon.

"Hello...Jem? Was it? Sorry?" he replied, not quite sure what to make of her.

"Yeah. Where did the happy couple go?" she asked sarcastically.

Lorenzo rolled his eyes.

"I think Leo had to go back to the workshop, and Valentina had to go _shopping_."

Jem smirked at the distasteful way he said the word.

"You don't like your cousin then?"

Lorenzo scoffed.

"As if! She's all _pretty_ and _girly _and Leo goes head over heels for her." he said, searching for some money to pay for the ice-cream.

"I know right?" Jem agreed, "She's not at all like Lisa. TOM! I meant Tom."

Lorenzo waved a hand.

"It's okay I already know." he said, "Anyway, how do you know what my cousin's like? You've never met her before now."

"July, last year. She visited for a week, during which time, she managed to unfortunately seduce my brother."

"Ooooohh yeah, she mentioned something about her heart being broken forever and never loving again." The boy waved a hand at his cousins 'suffering'.

"Long story short, she dumped him after she found out he was a 'peasant'." Jem finished, glancing round to check for her friend. "Hey, do you know where Tom went?"

Lorenzo grinned, "Here's the funny part, Valentina took her shopping, thinking she was a boy."

Jem's jaw dropped.

"No fucking way!" she grinned, "I _have_ to see this."

Jem flounced off in the other direction of the shops.

"Actuall-" Lorenzo started, but Jem had already gone. (**A/N**: **She does this a lot apparently**)

Lisa was bored doing 'girl stuff' with Valentina, who was oddly trying to flirt with her.

In all honestly, Lisa missed Jemma, but she couldn't understand why she had reacted in the way she had.

Of course she hadn't been going to kiss Grant. Well, maybe for a second. But no. He was Jem's brother, for gods sake!

Nothing could ever happen!

Grant stood alone, slowly swirling a bucket of crimson dye.

Of course they _could _have kissed. How could they not have? Any thing was possible (**A/N: See what I did there. I'm so full of golden wit**)

But they hadn't. So that was that.

Anyway, she was Jem's best friend, for gods sake!

Nothing could ever happen.

*** Takes a bow* FANTASTICO!**


	11. Chapter 11

***does a dance* heya, hope you're enjoying it so far :)**

Jem poked her head into the shop, where Lisa was sitting bored on the bench.

"Hey," Jem said, stepping in and admiring the clothes around her, "Is Valentina in there?"

Jem motioned to the fitting room.

"Yes." Lisa said, slightly curtly.

Jem sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about wha-"

"Don't. I really couldn't care less."

Jem looked at the ground.

"I'll just leave you with your new friend then."

Leo worked at attaching the explosive cartage to the side of his bike.

"Are you _sure_ that the Medeci's have this gunpowder?"

"Positive." grinned Mac, "when am I ever wrong?"

Leo glanced at his friend and smiled lightly.

He turned round, sensing someone's presence in the alleyway.

"Hello." Jem said awkwardly.

Mac nodded at her.

"Have either of you seen Grant anywhere?"

"No. Sorry." Leo said, he thought for a moment, "what happened with him and Valentina any way?"

"Uuuuhhh..." Jem said as Mac smirked, "She kind of tired to marry him."

"What do you mean tried?"

"well... she didn't exactly want to marry a commoner."

"one day I will marry Valentina..." Leo said, his eyes taking on a dreamy quality.

Jem scoffed, which she tried and failed to turn into a cough.

"I had best be off." Mac said suddenly, leaving Jem and Leo.

"You know Valentina will break your heart."

Leo frowned.

"No she won't." he said, "She loves me."

"O-kaaay."

"She does!"

"What ever you say."

"Ugh, what do you know? You're just a dye maker."

**Oooo, Leo that was harsh.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry the last chap was so short. I ran out of ideas, I'm trying to update more now.**

Jem lay face down on her bed next to Grant's before she heard a tapping on the screen that separated them.

She shot up to see Grant's sandy hair and slightly scarred face.

"Hey." he muttered, "Valentina fount out Lisa was really a girl-"

"Is she okay?" Jem butted in.

"Yeah. It was quite funny, because Leo and Lisa got back quicker, so Valentina looked like such an idiot."

Jem's eyes lit up, but then her face fell.

"You both probably hate me now."

"Why do you say that?"

"I stopped you and Lisa kissing."

"N-no you didn't! There was nothing to stop! We weren't going to kiss."

"Whatever you say."

"Anyways, you'd better get up. There's this whole art-sy competition going on, judged by the duke of Florence."

"Oh, great. I mights take a look later on."

"Leo is the favourite to win."

"...I'll get my coat."

"So the Duke is just going to look at them and see what one he likes best?" Jem quizzed Leo as he bought a caged bird so that he could set it free.

"Basically, yeah." Leo said.

Mac shrugged.

"That seems a bit unfair really." he said, Jem and Grant nodded in agreement.

"Oh, really? How so?" asked Leo.

Jem glanced at Mac.

"Well, what if he thinks one subject is nicer that the other. Like if one person draws flowers and the other person draws a landscape and he doesn't like flowers. He's gonna pick the landscape."

Lisa frowned.

"I'll try and pick something that he likes." Leo said smiling at Jem and lightly stroking the small bird's feathers.

Grant glared at him and muttered under his breath.

"Uh-oh." said Mac, spotting a group of pompous teenagers advancing.

"Oh, look who it is! Bird boy and his feathered friends." A very blonde guy drawled.

"Ciao! Michelangelo!" Mac grimaced, faking a smile.

Michelangelo sneered and his groupes laughed.

Grant sidled up to Jem.

"Gaaaaayy..." he mock-whispered.

"Apparently not." Jem said, as Michelangelo gave her a once-over and smirked.

Grant instinctively pushed Jem behind him slightly.

"Guys, this is Michelangelo. He's-" Mac was gut off by the twat.

"I'm set to win in the art competition."

"That is if Leo doesn't beat you." Lisa said defiantly.

"And what are you going to do? Beat me with your scribbles?"

"I might."

"Here's a word of advice, don't do a self-portrait. You don't have the cheek bones for it. See, it's all squishy." Michelangelo reached out and pinched Lisa's cheek.

Jem yanked Grant back as he started forward, a thunderous look on his face.

"Oooh. Temper. I wouldn't want to get your already disgusting clothes covered in dirt, now would I?"

Grant just glared.

"Anyway, Leonardo, I've decided to win the competition, so you probably might not want to bother trying."

"Oh, just piss off." Leo said harshly.

Michelangelo looked disgruntled for a second before composing himself.

He cleared his throat and turned to leave, but before he did he grabbed Jem's wrist.

"I'll see you around," he smirked before kissing her hand and strutting off.

**Oh yay! Im sorry I havent updated in ages, but im pretty proud of this chapter. I had to do it from memory and haven't seen this Ep in like a month.**


	13. Chapter 13

***yawns * Im tired, but because you guys are so nice, have another chapter. Sorry I haveng updated in a while. School is HARD!**

"What a prick!" Grant fumed as he and Jem walked home.

"You're telling me!" Jem replied, a little half-heartedly.

"And did you see the way he was looking at you! It was totally out of order!"

Jem huffed, but Grant was too busy ranting about Michelangelo to notice.

She mentally slapped herself when she thought of the way Leo had smiled at her at the marketplace, her hand absently brushed the spot Michelangelo had assaulted.

The spot on her knuckle seemed to be on fire and she shuddered at the memory.

Grant noticed her silence after a while.

"Hey," he nudged her, "You okay?"

Jem shrugged.

"I honestly don't know." she said.

Lisa stared at Leo's slowly dripping painting.

The confused look on his face was heartbreaking, but there was a tiny part of her that hoped that this meant she had a better chance of winning.

And she hated that part of herself.

Leo desperately tried to fix the paint, smearing it and making the mess worse.

"_Imbecile_!" the Meistro snapped, hissing about wrong oils, "You have to start again."

Lisa looked down as Leo angrily stormed out, evidently away to find Michelangelo.

She looked back at her still unfinished portrait.

Her mother.

Oh, god she missed her.

Michelangelo grinned when Leo stormed up to him, but his face turned to shock as Leonardo poured the oil into the cup in front of him.

"You switched my linseed oil!" he hissed.

"I didn't! I'm not a cheat!" Michelangelo looked at his friends, who all glanced at the ground.

"I didn't know." he said quietly.

"Yeah right." Leo scoffed.

"I don't need to cheat to win. I'm better than you Leonardo. Do you hear me? _I am better than you!_"

"I can win." muttered Leo.

He was about to stalk off (that sounded so gay, I'm sorry), but stopped when Michelangelo yelled.

"Jemma didn't seem to think so!"

Leo turned to see his twisted smirk, sensing he had struck a nerve.

"She even told me, _oh Michelangelo, you're so much better than Leonardo, he can hardly draw a ball, never mind a painting._"

Leonardo glared.

"You stay away from her!"

"Or what?"

Leo glared and marched off, leaving Michelangelo laughing with his friends.

Leo knocked angrily on the door to the dye makers.

"Oh hey Leo," Jem grinned.

"Why did you talk to Michelangelo?" Leo hissed, his face like thunder.

"I didn't."

"He said you did! And you said he was a better artist than me."

"Leo, Michelangelo is good, but you are way better. And plus, since when did you believe what that twat said?"

Leo thought for a moment, then sighed.

"I suppose I better start my painting. Sorry I wasted your time."

"No, its fine.-"

Leo left before Jem could finish her sentence.

"-you can waste my time all you want."

**More Grant & Lisa in the next chapter, don't worry.**

**I wanted to focus on Leo in this one.**


	14. Chapter 14

***groans* I'm so tired, i'm sorry.**

Jem followed Mac into the workshop where Leo was setting up his painting.

"Hey, is that...Lisa?" Jem asked, staring down at the beautiful model.

"She's beautiful..." Mac trailed, then muttering about not finding Lisa attractive.

Jem rolled her eyes and turned to wish Leo good luck.

"Hey. uh, good luck I guess. For the thing, your painting is sure to win."

Before Jem could change her mind, she jumped up and hugged Leo tightly.

"Th-thanks," he stammered and Jem rushed out.

"Hello." Jem said to Grant, who was squinting against the sun to see Lisa's painting.

"Oh, hey, can you see Lisa's painting? I bet it's great..."

Jem stood on her tiptoes.

"Nah, it's not been revealed yet."

Just as the Duke was beginning to open the competition, Leo dashed in at the last second.

"I've seen Leo's painting," Jem whispered to her brother, "It's really good."

Jem caught Leo's eye and smiled encouragingly, but then her smile dropped when she caught sight of Michelangelo's smirk.

"Just ignore the ass hole. Look at Lisa's painting." Grant muttered.

One by one the paintings were revealed and Jem scoffed at the Duke's reaction to Michelangelo's boody battle scene.

"Guess he isn't to fond of gore."

"Look at Lisa's. It's fucking brilliant!"

Grant looked at Jem as she stared at Leo's painting.

"Is that...Lisa?" Jem asked slowly, turning to see her brother fuming silently.

"That's just- how dare he- that is blatant over sexualisation! And what's he done with her lovely smile?! Ruined it, that's what!" Grant raged.

Jem grinned at Grant's outburst.

"You are _**so**_ in love with her."

**Sorry sorry sorry sorry**


	15. Chapter 15

Grant found himself awake surprisingly early for him.

Of course, Jem had already got up and was hanging folds of cloth out to dry in the hot Italian sun.

How lucky they had been to be able to find a place to settle down, rather than on the road all the time, constantly moving. He wasn't denying that he didn't sometimes miss the excitement and the music and parties, but here in Florence there was always someone to talk to or somewhere not so legal to explore.

"Hey, Grant?"

Jem's voice came through the door, and Grant rolled, still shirtless out of bed.

He looked at his reflection in the small speckled mirror on top of the fireplace, his hands absently running down the burn scars that went down his collarbone, neck and chest. He had been lucky not to burn his face too badly.

"Grant?" Jem rounded the door, "Put some bloody clothes on! Are you only just fucking up?"

"What's got you in such a swear-y mood this morning?" he mused pulling a dark green shirt on, making his hair stick up at odd angles.

"Lisa's mum! She's here in Florence and wants to take her back home to marry her off!"

"Oh shit." Grant muttered, catching on to the swearing.

"Lisa panicked and said she was already married."

"Who's she married to?"

"We all bounced about a couple of ideas. Leo's already met her mother, so he's out, Lorenzo is apparently to rich, and Mac's not Lisa's type." Jem said, kind of amused.

"Ha, well you guys better think up something quick if Lisa's mum wants to meet her son in law." Grant said, but then he caught sight of Jem's smirk.

"My thinking exactly. That is why, while you were asleep, I nominated you."

"No way," Grant muttered as he walked with Jem to Mac's house where he and Lisa allegedly lived, "Her mum is not gonna believe we're married. No way in hell."

"Relax," Jem insisted, "It's gonna be fine. Just act all lovey-dovey then get rid of her mum as quick as possible."

"Your house is certainly more presentable than ours," Jem remarked to Mac as they shifted a table together.

"Thanks, I think."

Leonardo meanwhile lectured Grant and Lisa how to be a couple.

"You have to just relax, don't be so strained all the time." Leo insisted.

"I'm not being strained!" Grant protested.

"You are!"

"It's hard to relax when you're shouting at me that I'm doing it wrong!"

Lisa rolled her eyes.

"This is never going to work if you two don't just get along!" she shouted to be heard over the arguing boys.

"What do you suggest then?" Grant turned to her.

"Well for starters, put some better clothes on. I wouldn't let my husband walk around in _that_."

Grant looked down at his clothes.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"He can wear one of my shirts." Mac offered, "At least they'll be cleaner."

Grant shot him a glare, before catching the dark blue shirt that was thrown his way and disappeared behind the screen.

"Do you think your mum will buy this?"Jem asked Lisa.

"I hope so. We can't be to long though, I have to get back to the Duchess' painting."

They all snapped round at Grant's exclamation of surprise.

"Shit!"

Lisa groaned and stalked towards the screen.

"It's just a shirt, you know," she said, "it's not _that_ hard to put on."

"Well, you know, "Grant muttered, "there's a lot of...buttons and..."

"Oh, for gods sake," Lisa said, rounding the board to come face to face with Grant's bare back.

"Oy! You don't need to violate my privacy, you know." he said, turning round so they were looking at each other.

Lisa's breath hitched when she saw the marks on his chest, forearms and neck.

Grant looked at the ground.

"Would you mind turning around." he asked quietly, forcing back the tears that were threateningly pooling in his eyes and angrily swiping his face.

Lisa numbly nodded and turned from behind the screen.

Leo, Jem, Mac and Lorenzo were all looking with a mix of confusion and uncertianty.

"What was that about?" Lorenzo asked.

Grant burst out from behind the screen.

"Come on," he said, not meeting anyone's eyes, "We have to get the place more cleaned before your mum gets here."

**How did Grant get his scars? You will have to keep reading to find out and if I remember to explain it at a later date.**


	16. Chapter 16

After the incident getting changed, Grant was quiet the whole time before Lisa's mother came. When the woman stepped through the threshold to the small house he immediately turned on every ounce of charm in his being.

Lisa's mother appeared quite shocked at first but soon warmed up to him.

"So how long were you two engaged for?" she asked.

"Oh, ages."

"Not long."

Grant and Lisa spoke at the same time and turned to glare at each other.

"Well, no matter how long it was, every second felt like an age until I could spend every moment with Lisa." Grant saved.

Lisa nodded in agreement.

"So how is father?" she asked, trying to move the subject, but her mother had other ideas.

"What was the wedding like, seeing as I was never invited." A smile fixed on señora Gherardini's face.

"Well, it was a rather quiet affair." Lisa countered, "Mainly friends and part of Grant's family."

"His family? How interesting."

"Well, just my sister. But only because I live with her. Lived. Before I moved here with Lisa." Grant rambled.

Lisa glanced out the window as the clock tower struck.

"I have to go to my needlepoint circle, now I'm so sorry. I can walk you back to the square." She said.

"No, no, it's alright. I can stay here," señora Gherardini insisted, "Get to know my son-in-law."

Lisa glanced at Grant and he nodded slightly, before remembering they were supposed to be a couple.

"I will see you when you get back," he said, standing up and quickly pecking her on the cheek.

As Lisa hurried back to the workshop, Grant awkwardly sat back down as Lisa's mother fixed him with a stare.

"I can see you care greatly for my daughter." she said

"She means the world to me."

"But if you think I'm buying the fact that you two are married, you must be an imbecile."

Grant hung his head slightly.

"For one thing, you don't even wear rings!" Lisa's mother continued.

"Dammit." Grant muttered.

Jem had insisted that they wear rings but Grant refused, thinking it would be too much.

"So what now?" Grant asked, looking up, "You can't force her to get married, she'll just run away again."

"All I want is the truth."


End file.
